Playing device for zithers and the like.



v J. MEGERA. BLAYING DBYICE PQR ZITHBRS AND THE LIKE. l APLloATIoN FILED AUG. z, 19'13. 1,097,106` PatentedMay 19, 1914.

l 2 sHEETssHEET 1.

O Snom/Moz www A J. MEGBRA PLAYING DEVICE FOR ZITHBRS AND THB LIKE,

' v 1 PPLIGATION FILED AUG- 2, 1913.` y i I l,Q97,1 06. 4 Patented May 19, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.v

UNITED `sTATEs' vPATENT oEEjIoE. l

JosEr Mncnnii, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or'coLiiiviBIA.

PLAYING DEVICE FOR ZITHERS AND THE LIKE.

To all whom t may concern.' y

Be it known that I, JOSEF MEGERA, aA subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at `Wlashington, in the District of. Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Vin Playing Devices for Zithers and the like; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exactdescription of the invention, suoli as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to nia-ke and use the same.

This invention relates to yimprovements in key operated playing devicesfor Zithers and like stringed musical instruments.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having an improved construction and arrangement ofkeys by meaiis of which the string engaging hammers are actuated.

Another Objectis to provide a playing device of the' character described which may be readily' applied to the musical instrument` and when not in use is inclosed in a casing and may be readily carried by a suitable handle in a manner similar to that in which a suit case is carried. f

With these andother objects in view, the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as wi-libe more fully described and claimed. L

In the accompanyingdrawings: Figure l Iis a perspective view of my improved play- "ing device inclosed in a casing and in condil tion for being carried; Fig. 2 is a perspec- 1 tive view showing the device applied to a Zither for playing the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view of the device and a portion of arzither illustratingin full and dotted lines the manner in which the string engaging hammers of the device are actuated by the keys; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device and aV portion of the Zither with the top of the casing of the device removed; Fig. 5

454s a vertical cross sectional viewV similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the manner in which the device is inclosed in its casing; Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section through` the rear portion` of the device and the rear ends of the keys taken on the line f-6.0i Fig. 4 and illustrating the damper or (tone-conf` trolling mechanism of the device; Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one Vof the'keys showing more particularly the manner in y Specification of Letters fatent. I

which the hammers are arranged therein; Fig. 8 is a side view of one of the hammers...

Patented May 19, 1914. Application led August 2, 1913. Serial No. 782,642.

Fig. 9'is a detail view of one of the stop engaging blocks in the inner ends of the -keys showing the extension thereon which carriesthe damper pads. Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view taken on `the line lO-lO of Fig. 3.

My improved playing device comprises a casing l consisting of side members 2 in which are secured the ends of a key supporting rod or shaft 3 on which are pivoted which the hammers of the device engage the strings of the Zither when the device is placed thereon. When not in use this space in the bottoni of the casing is covered by a removable bottom section 8l on the inner edge of which are arranged dowel pins 9. adapted to engage sockets in the edge of the section 7 while the outer Vedge of the section 8 is held 4in position by hooks 10 which are engaged with keepers secured in the rear side piece 5 as is clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The end members 6 of the casing'are rabbetedon their inner sides adjacent to their .edges to receive the ends of the front and rear side and bottom sections of the casing and with the upper 'rabbeted edges of the end members is engaged a top or cover member comprising a rear stationv ary section 11 which is suitably secured in place and has connected to the lower side of 'its-forward edge a brace bar 12 the ends of which are set rinto recesses 13 formed on the inner sides of the end members of the casing as shown. -lblinged to the forward edge of the stationary section 11 of the cover is a front section 14 which isadapted to be swung back onto the stationary section when the casing is open for playing and which is.

swung over the upper frontrportion of the casing when the latter is closed. rIhe section le has secured to its forward edge a front end closingstripl which when the section 14 is closed is brought Adown over the open front upper portion of the casing 'aiid-into engagement with the iup-per edge of `the to be screwed down into the frame of thel Zither when the playing deviceis applied thereto as clearly shown in Fig. 2 lof the drawings.

Secured to the front piece 6 of the casing andto the strip 15 on the hinged section of the cover are members of a clasp 19 by means of which the cover is securely fastened in closed position. Also secured to the vfront piece 6 of the casing is a handle 20 by means of .which the device may be readily carried when the casing is closed. l Secured in the casingat a suitablel distance below the forward ends of the keys 4l is a stop bar 21 which is designed to limit the downward movement of the keys when struck in playing and on the upper edge of which is arranged a sound deadening strip 22 against Ywhich the keys strike and which.

deadens the sound or noise which would occur if the keys came down into engagement with the .naked bar. Across the rear end of the casing below the rear ends of the keys is also arranged a stop bar 23 the ends of whiehare secured in the ends of the casing and with which the rear ends of the keys are engaged when the latter' are in a. normal position." On the upper edge of the stop bar 23 isarranged a sound deadening strip 24 of.

vof the keys have formed therein a longi.

tudinal slot 25 and set into the rear ends of said slots are stop engaging blocks 26 which engage the stop bar 23 when the keys are in a normal position. @n the blocks 26 arel formed right-angularly downwardly y projecting extensions or lugs 27 which project a suitable distance below the rear ends of the keys and on the lower ends of a cer-- tain number lof the Vextensions 27 are se cured felt pads .28 which. are designed' to y .engage the strings of the instrument and which thus form a damper mechanism clontizolled in a manner hereinafter described. Immediatelybelow -the pivotal point of `the keys 4L is a strip 29 on'which at intervals are upwardly projecting spacing lugs 30 which project upwardly through the forward ends of the slots in certain of the keys and {which are provided to prevent any latlines in Fig. 3

'teiit as would interfere with the free operation thereof.

Pivoted near their rear ends in the slots 25 of the keys 4 are string engaging hammers 3l each of which comprises a bar hav-` ing on its forward end a downwardly extending oifset head v32 to the lower edgeof which is secured a strip 33 of felt or other suitable cushioning material. rlhe opposite ends of the hammers 31 ha've also formed offset depending enlargements 3-1 to the rear edges of which are secured weights 35 whereby this end of the hammer is swung downwardly and the head end upwardly and which normally. this position. y

Arranged transversely through the upper portion of the easing' above the keys 1 and a short distance in advance of the pivotal connection of the hammers with' the. keys is a bar 36 forming a fulcrum for the haininers and the ends of which are set into and securely' fastened in notches 37 in the inner sides of the end members of the casing; On the lower edge of the bar 36 is secured a sound deadening strip 38 of felt or other suitable material against which the upper edges of the inner portion of the keys strike when the outer ends of the keys are depressed in playing. When the inner portions of the keys are swung upwardly by the depression of the outer port-ion thereof the upper edges of the forward ends of the hammers 31 are brought into more or less` forcible engagement with the bar 36 or rather with the sound deadening strip 33 thereon which serves as a fulcrum for said hammers.` rThis engagement of the hammers with said strip or bar throws the forward ends of the hammers downwardly through the slots 25' in the keys e on the depression of the front ends of the keys and the weighted rear ends of the hammers move upwardly through the rear ends of the slots 25 as is clearly shown in full'and dotted of the drawings. 1n this operation of the hammers the cushioned or padded heads 32 thereof are brought into engagement with Athe strings of the instrument thus sounding the latter. By providing the rear ends of the hammers with the weights 35 it will' be seen that when the heads of the hammers strike the keys7 the weighted opposite ends of the hammers will ausethe heads thereof to instantly rebound and disengage the strings to a slight extent, and when the keys are released said weighted ends ofthe hammers will swing the latter all the way up to their normal positions.` Arranged on the inner surface of the stationary section 11 of the cover is a sound deadening strip 39 against which the forholds the hammers in 

